Islamic State loses key dam in Syria

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of Islamic State terrorist group, allegedly issued an audio recording, threatening to turn Palestine into a “graveyard” for Israelis, and urged an insurgency against Saudi Arabia rulers he called “apostates” perverting Islam.

In a 20-minute audio message that was the first of its kind from him in seven months, he said: “They (United States) were given a good lesson in Iraq and Afghanistan”.

“The Jews thought we forgot Palestine and that they had distracted us from it. Not at all, Jews”.

Believed to have been killed after his convoy was reportedly hit by an airstrike, al-Baghdadi, Islamic State’s key member and one of it influential leaders, released an audio statement calling for an uprising in Saudi Arabia and promising future attacks in Israel.

CNN could not independently verify the man speaking is indeed Baghdadi, the much-reviled head of the group that calls itself the Islamic State.

The last such public online message said to be by Baghdadi was posted in May.

He also called on Saudi citizens – the second biggest contributor to Isil ranks – to “rise up” against their government as he dimissed the kingdom’s newly formed Muslim coalition against the caliphate.

“The leaders of the jihad fighters will surround you on a day you think is far, but we see it as close”.

Some were a little more serious when it came to denouncing Al-Baghdadi.

Meanwhile, a U.S.-backed coalition of rebels in Syria – including Syrian Kurdish, Arab and Christian groups – has captured a major dam on the Euphrates River in the north from the Islamic State group. Also, it was produced by the al-Furqan Media Foundation, IS media arm.

The speech was released on jihadi social media accounts after a string of defeats for the Islamic State in Iraq and amid intensifying bombardment by a U.S.-led military coalition in both Syria and Iraq.

Iraqi government troops are also making advances in the ISIS-held city of Ramadi.

Baghdadi also pledged to attack Israel and the West, saying ISIS has “not forgotten Palestine for a single moment”. Many tweeters aimed their disgust for Islamic State at El-Baghdadi instead, which led to more hilarity (and some annoyance for El-Baghdadi).